Huwebes, Disyembre 18, 2014

Untold Stories of the Ili Rock (Eli Rock)

Poblacion, Boljoon a view from the Ili Rock
Image from: http://boljoon.myguide.ph/
        Unexpected things happen in the world. Some are best left untold. Others are best uncovered. Now, do you believe in tales?        
         Kilometers and hours of road trip, there is a very small town between the towns of Alcoy on its north and Oslob on its south (if the traveller is from Cebu City). It is a town where evergreen mountains meet the blue coast leaving the lowland compressed and narrow. Over viewing Bohol strait are the town’s bay and long roads that snake along the way. These roads are hemmed at the edges of the mountains because of the “married” or attached location between the mountain and the sea. According to Limpag (2014), the location of the town alongside a wide bay had made it easy for Moros in the early 17th up to 19th century to attack the town. He added that during the attack in 1782, the town was burned and everything was condensed into ashes- from houses to church. (p. 2). This small peaceful town is now named Boljoon.
            Boljoon is a town long discovered by Spaniards four-hundred and more years ago. Not only that this small town is known for its picturesque, but also of its tales and stories. It is believed that Boljoon comes from the word “Bolho” meaning spewing water because one of the natives answered Bolho to some Spaniards who asked for the town’s name, and since they are Spanish people they made it Boljoon.(Limpag) Bolho is one of the famous festivals Bolhoanons, the townspeople, celebrate nowadays. Aside from their lively festivals, their explicit scenery, their breath taking Parish Church, old haunted houses built during Spanish and Japanese eras, Baluartes served as watch towers, and other ancient infrastructures, they are also famous because of the gigantic rock which amused most tourists. 

           
The Ili Rock
Image from: http://www.ponderingpaodaolei.net/2014/10/beauteous-boljoon.html
The walloping rock that runs into the coast that is naturally curved inwards is one of the most important landmarks of the town next to the town’s Parish Complex. This rock is located at the entrance of Boljoon’s Poblacion. This rock served as protection or shade covering the beauty of the hidden town to make it more sophisticated. The natural formation of the rock through geologic times made it more appealing to people, even those who just pass through will stop and take a good snap shot with the rock. This became one of the alluring tourist spots in the town. This enormous rock is the majestic Ili or Eli Rock.
            Locals benefit mostly their early lives from this rock. The Ili Rock was used as a natural fortress long time ago. On an interview I had with Lacno H, 45 years living in the town, held last December 16, 2014, she said that Ili is the guarding point or point of navigation for locals to watch out for enemies or intruders (Moros) coming from Bohol, Siquijor and more who wish to travel the oceans of Boljoon. History tells that long ago beyond imaginary people had been living there even before the Moros, Spaniards etc came to pay a little visit of the town. There were many instances rumoured around the town of how true these extraordinary people exist. These stories made the Ili Rock more interesting to explore.
Ili Rock
Image from: http://simpletripper.blogspot.com/2013/06/
travel-notes-2013-cultural-heritage-of.html
            As said above, it is believed that beyond ordinary people live in the big rock. About 90% of the Bolhoanons strongly agree that Ili is a big city, the city of the queer. About 80% of the townsfolk, on the other hand, impute that there is one lady, very rich they say who lives in Ili Rock and her name is Maria Cacao. This Maria Cacao owned two big ships named after her- Maria Cacao Ship. These ships carry mostly of her and her fellow’s properties, riches and even relatives.
            Last October 15, 2013, there was a massive earthquake that struck Bohol and mostly the southern part of Cebu, and Boljoon is one of them. During this happening is also the beginning of the fall of the Ili rock. Then, the night of that day, many residents from Talisay, Boljoon (the baranggay near the Ili rock) had witnessed something not normal by the sea in front of the Ili rock. It was a very bright light of two big ships as big as a cruise ship, they say. They added that the uncommon ships carry with them properties, people wounded during the earth’s quaking and other migrants from the Ili rock. Many of them have come up with the conclusion that those big ships are owned by Maria Cacao, the Maria Cacao ship because none of the Bolhoanons have seen those rare ships in the coasts of the town and no Bolhoanon has ever owned a ship especially of that size. This is one instance that Bolhoanons are indeed not alone in the town.
            It is not just the ships that you will find the rock interesting, but also these odd people who pretends to be common people like you and me. This event happened not so long ago. K. Moraca (personal communication, December 17, 2014), a citizen of Boljoon, said that during the President days of the ex- President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Ili rock was supposed to be bombed and be vanished. He added that the night of that day, there came out a woman of nowhere telling people to stop the said plan: to destroy the Ili Rock. The people must not destroy the giant rock because it is a city, the mysterious woman said, up there reclines their hospital, school, mansions etc. Moraca also added that the woman gave a threat to the townspeople that if the Ili will be destroyed, so is the town and the people. By this she meant a tragedy will come to vanquish Boljoon and everything within it. Because of this, such project stopped. 
            The stories about these peculiar women do not only end there because according to a credible source who wished to remain unnamed, "there is strange woman in Ili rock sometimes shouting, and wailing. She added that this odd woman will appear during midnight. These quaint sounds she makes, my source said, can be reflected in the walls of the Parish Church. The wailing sounds will appear to be a soft repetition of music while the shouts are like waves transmitted wall to wall like an echo, she said further."  Indeed a strange place.
            December 16, 2014, I made a survey for the local residents of Boljoon. I asked at least 20 people if they believe in the stories mentioned above. Well a few said no, but a lot says yes. Statistically speaking, I have estimated that about 80% of the townsfolk believe in those quirky stories; 20% of them do not.
           Out of curiosity, I arranged an interview with one of the residents in Talisay, Boljoon. According to him, there was an instance when he noticed something erratic about the Ili rock. (G. Vallarta, personal communication, December 17, 2014) He said that it was a very late night and he was still in his desk playing with his computer when he espied a lively gathering of some people at the top of the big rock. Next, he decided to take a glimpse at the said party, he added, because it bothered him, but when he got out it was a total tranquillity. He said he got scared and fell right into sleep. The next morning, he thought he just imagined what happened that night might be fallacy, but his neighbor, Jenefer, approached him and asked him if he had witnessed the feast above. He was startled, he murmured, because it seemed to be unbelievable. It is truly something.

            Aside from the creepy persons, mestizos and rare animals coming in and out of the Ili rock, the rocks or boulders itself freaks people too. Not only it is prone to rock falls, but also these boulders are not as heavy as they look. I asked one of our participants about this matter and surprised to have heard that she had tried lifting one of these rocks. “It was the day after the rock falls during earth quake, she started, and there was a medium sized boulder about the size of a tire blocking the way. She thought she can’t lift it up, but she handled it, she said amusingly. The rock weighed like an empty bucket of biscuit.” It’s not just the Eli rock, but there is also one big rock in the mere front of our house which is said to be the mythical “party house” for these strange people. A witness, who is an albularyo, term for native doctors, from the southernmost part of Cebu said that this happened.
            Proving that these remarkable things happen, a recent story has spread all over the town. This story is based on an actual experience of Elmer , the backhoe operator working on the Ili rock since the last months. "It was said that there is an old man who talks to him about the matter of vanishing the cliff.  Then, both the operator and the man will talk for a while to get pass the time. Before working, the operator will wait for the man to go away. When the old man goes, at last the operator can start working. This happens every time he works."
            The tales are not always like these because there were stories that the Patron Saint of the town made Her miracles in the rock. "Indeed, a comment by one of our interviewees explained the details of this subject- for an instance, She was seen there during the Yolanda happened. She was trying to defend or protect the town from the strong winds and heavy rains brought by the typhoon because at the same time it was Her big feast." It is a miracle after all.
Some stories may be true and some may be not. It doesn't matter because what matters most is how strong we are to stand in our principles and defend what we believe. It has been a great discovery for me- about the untold stories of the Ili Rock because of 17 years of living in Boljoon, I have not remembered these stories do exist.
          It always thrills me whenever I pass the Ili Rock. It is not just because I have imagined so many things about it, but because it seems like the tales of the Ili rock turned out to be true. I haven’t had any direct experiences with the queerness of the gigantic rock, but it always gives me goose bumps. Ili Rock is one startling scenic white limestone cliff to be preserved. Proceeding, these stories can be quite interesting for adventurers, but we always have our differences in perceptions of our beliefs.
            Boljoon is one astonishing small town. It procures an epic history. It possesses beautiful and uncommon natural resources. It provides new adventures to travellers. Lastly, the town never failed to surprise adventurers. Indeed, it is a small town of big discoveries.
Boljoon Parish Church
Image from: http://manila-mania.blogspot.com/2012/09/boljoons-patrocino-de-maria-parish.html#.VJKO9iuUejY


Reference List:
Limpag, M.2014.Boljoon Guide.Where to go. 2p. Retrieved from <http://boljoon.myguide.ph/where-to-go.html> . Date Retrieved (December 16, 2014).
            

Martes, Nobyembre 25, 2014

Termites: New Engineers of Nature


TERMITES: Engineers of Nature


Image from: http://www.brisbaneinsects.com/pchew_brisbane/images/PWC_7747.jpg


Did you know that termites can contribute positively to nature?

Termites are not the most likeable creatures of nature. The common perception for termites is that they are considered as pests and destroyers. Every year they cause billions in structural damage and another billion for getting rid of them. For these insects, wood is their favorite and every time seeing these woods, this type of insects could never resist. Aside from that, we can observe that almost all household is made ​​up of wood (especially in the native towns), therefore termites are abundant in this type of region.  This type of region is mostly affected by the damage caused by these pests. Why? There will be more properties being broken; there will be too much loss and especially frustrations. Indeed, termites bring burden to most people.

Image by:  adependable.com

            On the other hand, there are some people who believe that termites contribute to the biodiversity of the ecosystem. According to Eggleton (2003), head of research group termite, termites are "social insects" (para.1) with organic diet and are also major contributors of decomposition processes in tropical regions. In fact termites, aside from being a major contributor of decomposition, can also fertile the soil and can provide habitat for plants and animals.  They can also increase the crop yield, be the source of food and provide habitat for other living things. Although these insects have marked violently in our households, they still contribute to nature.

            Termites are major decomposers. They also reduce litters for some purposes- one is to provide habitat for other living things which will be discussed later on. Termites are common in tropical and subtropical regions, which is why they are very much popular in Africa. There's a fact Evans (2011) said that "ants and termites can replace earthworms as soil engineer" (para.4) in drier and hotter habitats because the earthworms are "limited in their distribution to wetter and cooler regions" (para.4).  We normally see termites feeding up with those woods (actually they are feeding up with the dead woods) and seeing them like that, we can not avoid asking the question "why". Well one reason is definitely because they love wood litters, but what we do know is that they are actually in the process of decomposing. In this decomposition process, they are producing nutrients, in particular nitrogen that will provide what the plants need and the nutrients that the soil will be fertile.

            As discussed in the second paragraph, the termites fertilize the soil. Salinger (2012) said that in Africa, termites are used as a natural fertilizer for their dry tropical soils. According to him, African farmers found clever ways to incorporate into their farming termites systems. He also said that termites can increase the amount of nitrogen in soils as well as provide nutrients for plants. He added that termites improve soil fertility or abundance in dry lands by allowing plants to have greater access to water. Termites reduce porosity in the soil so that water can be absorbed by the roots. Mommer (2003) said that in Australia, termites are also responsible for ridding of up to 100% of herbaceous matter and take part in changing soil structure increasing effects of erosion. According to Park ( as cited in Mommer ), termite colonies also act as intercessors in a very dry environment by enabling access to other decomposers nature residues or litters for decay. Termites play an important role in soil formation and nutrient recycling because their diet consists of organic material appropriate for the soil. There is a fact that the explicit landscapes of Africa are made ​​of termite mounds (Soil Diversity, nd). These termite mounds are also used as soil fertilizer especially in Zambia, a place in South Africa. Since these creatures fertile soil, they increase the crop yield as well.

Farmers using termites as soil treatment.
Image from:
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/innovation-of-the-week-using-ants-and-termites-to-increase-crop-yields/


            Termites also increase the crop yield. Since they are agents for nitrogen balance, they increase the nitrogen needed for plants. In 2011, a research was conducted in Australia by Theodore Evans and his colleagues about ants and termites increasing crop yield in a dry climate. The result was that termites raise crop yield by increasing water infiltration into the soil. Another discovery is that these creatures can be a new tool for sustainability of crop production because the result says that it can be applicable to climate adaptation. This case is very evident in Africa because articles says that African soils that were treated with termites increased by thirty-six percent of wheat production, major. The said article explains how these particular farmers termites use to improve their harvest:Farmers used to place wood into their soil to attract the termites while other local farmers will use manure. This will let the termites come to treat their soil by effectively reducing waste while improving crop yield. The use of termites to improve crop production is expertly practiced in Africa. (Salinger) When the soil is fertile and the crop yield increases, then there is production of food.

          As mentioned above, termites increase the yield of crops resulting in abundant production of wheat. Many major production of wheat in different places had been reported to increase into greater percents. Aside from an ample quantity of production in vegetation, termites are food itself. According to Salinger, there are more than 600 different species of termites found in arid regions of Africa and Australia; therefore these termites are a popular food available in the said regions. Bodenheimer (as cited in the article "Insects as Food for Humans", nd ) said that the large queen castes of termites are the most desirable kind of food. One of Bodenheimer's colleagues said that termites have higher protein than beef, but its protein content is the same with that of the fish. He also said that these termites are usually sold in the markets of (Zaire) Democratic Republic of the Congo, fried and eaten by hand. The termites are not only food for other living creatures, but also a provider of habitat for plants and other animals of either its size or bigger than them.

                   Termites may be small, but in case you do not know, these tiny insects (termites) provide nesting sites for other animals even the animals that used them as preys. A Lace Monitor in Australia lays her eggs inside one of these termite mounds, once this Lace Monitor has laid her eggs, the termites cover up the nest and keep the eggs safe (para.5). ("Australian Wildlife Facts", nd) If you remember that termites build mounds and the local farmers used it as a natural fertilizer, well the mounds are not only fertilizers, but also used as homes and observation points for animals. Larger termite mounds provide habitat for smaller animals and woody shrubs with root systems that cannot withstand flooding for several weeks. This case is found especially on plains in Africa that are most often engulfed by a rainy season . ("Termite", nd) Variety of animals such as snakes, lizards, scorpions etc use these piled dirt or small hill (especially the abandoned mounds) as their homes. By providing a different habitat for other living creatures, the termites added the biodiversity of ecosystems. After all, termites contributed a lot to nature, from human beings, to its fellow animals, to plants, to the soil and to earth alone.
Lace Monitor laying her eggs in termite mound.Image from: http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1966665,1966778
                  Some things are different from what we normally view. The termites we thought to be just pests and have nothing to do, but to annoy us turned out to be useful at all. They can replace earthworms to be our major decomposers in fertilizing the earth's soil . People can use the termite mounds to be a natural fertilizer instead of buying a commercial fertilizer. It will give an idea for saving a lot of money to most farmers who spend a lot on commercial fertilizers. Termites can also be food for some who tend to have a crucial means of surviving. Not only that they are food, but also home builders for other living things.  Though they are little, they can always maintain the balance of nature. Termites are indeed part of the biomass for an environmental equilibrium. Because termites can easily adapt itself in an arid environment, they are now considered to be demanded in tropical regions for a healthier habitat.

                It is easy to dislike termites. They have the reputation of destruction. Woods are vanishing. Homes are slowly breaking down. Properties are damaged. People are getting paranoid of getting rid of these tiny, slightly white, soft-bodied insects. In contrary to these, recent studies and discoveries have begun to clear the misconception of the termite.  Termites are the most neglected creation on earth. Even if that's the case, at least some people believe that termites have their other side. From all of the above discussion, it is truly evident that termites do have contributions to nature. Little by little it is seen that in the end there is symbiosis. Hard to discover, but it's worth it. Hence it's true that termites can help nature.

                   Again, things are often not what they appear to be.

Cheetahs on top of a termite mound. These predators are using the mound as their observation point.
Image from:  www.naturalhighsafaris.com
Termite mound making up the overwhelming landscape of Africa. 
Image from: pixabay.com


Reference List:
Australian Wildlife Facts - Goanna (monitor lizard). (nd). Retrieved November 25, 2014, from
Bodenheimer, F. et.al. (ND). Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Insects as Food. Retrieved December
Eggleton, P. (2003, January 31) .Termite diversity and its role in tropical ecosystems.Retrieved
Evans, T. et.al. (2011). Ants and termites increase crop yield in a dry climate. Retrieved
Mommer, B. (Ed.). (2003, April). References. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from
          EcolAusTermites .htm
Salinger, G. (2012, January 1). Innovation of the Week: Using Ants and Termites to
           Increase crop yields. Retrieved November 25, 2014,
           from http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/innovation-of-the-week-using-ants-and
           termites-to-increase crop yields /
Serengeti - Termites. (nd). Retrieved November 25, 2014, from
Soil biodiversity (Termites and Soils). (nd). Retrieved November 25, 2014, from
           http://eusoils.jrc.ec.europa.eu/library/maps/Africa_Atlas/download/41.pdf

Outline

Topic: The Contribution of Termite to Nature

Title: Termites: Engineers of Nature

Outline:

I. Termites

A. What are termites?
    B. What do termites do?

II. Contribution of termites

A. Termites decompose

    B. Termites fertile the soil

          -Increase Crop Yield



-Provide Food

C. Termites provide habitat for plants and animals



III. Conclusion

- Termites can help nature.